The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-10-08
A TRAGEDY IN SHADOWS.

A TRAGEDY In SHADOWS
On the evening when this story open
ed, as Mr.. Banley sat in his easy chair,
smoking and looking out of the window
which had no prospect, he suddenly dis
covered that there was prospect. The |
house directly opposite had in its rear
very wide bay window, the sash com
ing down to the level Of the floor on the
second story. This bay window was
curtained with white muslin, which
covered the entire sash smoothly and
without wrinkle.
What first attracted Banley's attention
was shadow on this curtain-the
shadow of a person in the curtained
room. 1t was lady, sitting in low
chair, gently rocking herself. while her
hands were apparently busy with needle
work. She sat very near the window,
and in such n position that her profile in
shadow was thrown sharply on the cur
tain by a strong light, which must have
been droplight on a table, at the far
end of the room. An instant after Ban
ley first noticed this, the image was
obscured, and the entire window thrown
into shadow. Again change, and the
profles of Two persons were shown on
the curtain-the lady sitting as before,
and opposite her gentleman. As the
1.AA. s..N- gr.1
near the light and between it and the
window, and so threw the whole curtain
into shade. AS he approached the lady,
getting farther from the light, and nearer
the curtain, the shadow he cast shrunk
to its due size beside that of the lady
Banley reasoned this out carefully, and
then was angry with himself when he
found he had been so absorbed that his
cigar was no longer alight.
81 have done with all that. What do
l care about it?" he muttered, as he re-
lighted his cigar.
Yet he could not avoid looking again
at the shadows. The gentleman was evil
IDENTIFY wooer No young man talking
to his sister or his aunt would cast such
a fidgeting. shadow as this young man
cast on the curtain. Frequently, as Ban
, ley could tell by the motion of her head,
the lady looked up from her work to
glance at her companion. Banley knew
how it was going with that young man.
| "The internal gudgeon! !" exclaimed
{ Banley, "he'll swallow that bait, hook
, and all, before he gets away !"
However that was, the gudgeon goi
away in time, and no more shadows were
seen hat evening. Exactly week after
ward, Banley saw the NV nrotles OF
the curtain as before. He could have
sworn they were not there on the inter
vening evenings. The shadow of the
gentlemen was even more restless than
before, and reason for this appeared
after time. Banley saw him rise from
his chair, throw himself on his knees be-
fore the lady and seize her hand.
Despite his renunciation Of all such
things, Banley's breath came faster as he
looked at this He summoned up his
cynicism, and muttered
: "She has brought him to the point in
a hurry, and now he will get it"
, He did get it. That is, he arose from
his knees and caught the lady in his arms,
and their heads came so close together
: that they made but one shadow on the
l curtain. Before Banley got his breath
after witnessing all this, the shadows
| disappeared. Gone to ask the old folks
/ the cynical watcher thought.
Another full week passed before Ban
ley saw the shadows again. He no long
er made pretence to himself of not be
u ing interested in them. He had looked
for them every evening, and had beer
u greatly disappointed at their failure t.
il appear, but now, when he saw them fo
the third time, he was amazed. Tit
>, curtain showed the shadow of a table
evidently set out for supper. Banle.
IL identified the image Of a teapot. Th
e. lady sat in her low chair as before, bu
10 Wnen lub EoAtiShioh oPPONtSN VI oAS 1t'ANAi
up and threw her arms about his neck i
long embrace. They sat down at til
table and ate. Banley was thunder
, struck.
y within these few days they have Al
he ranged it all, and have been married, an
to day have settled down to house-keeI
g. ing in that room |" said Banlcy to hin
A. SELF feeling somewhat dazed.
M Presently the lady rose and caught VI
" apparently from the floor, child two G
IL three years old, which she carries to tn
gentleman. The latter pushed his cha
II back from the table, set the child astrit
D. of his foot and tossed it up and dow
'at Banley was not at all excited by this.
II see," he muttered, "he has marie
widow with an incumbrance." I'll
We affair was losing interest.
nd 1t CHANGED at this time that Banl'
was absent from home for a month. I
,is had too pleasant visit to trouble hin